Shadows on a Wall
by Sy Itha
Summary: Aria T'Loak and Councilor Tevos had a shared past. With current events on the Citadel, they find their lives overlapping once more. The following is a collection of related short stories about the mentioned characters. Rated M for language and content to come later. Femslash.
1. Anguish

Anguish

Few speeders flew over the botanical sector of the Citadel. C-sec made sure of it to conserve the station's _preserve of natural beauty_, as the sign had read. This had actually drawn a chuckle from Aria T'Loak. Who in their right mind believed that a mysterious space station's "natural beauty" could be found in foreign plants? If they truly wished to honor the beauty of the Citadel, they would have an observation window the size of the Temple of Athame.

But this sector of the Citadel possessed something other areas did not: solitude. And solitude was something Aria needed in this moment, now, especially since the attack on the Citadel had left C-sec up in arms with new "safety protocol" for everyone to adhere to. Here she could escape from the damned stuffed-shirts and security officers who hounded her every step. Here she could escape the fearful watch of what remained of her loyal faction. Here, under the alien trees of her home world she could think without second-guessing the actions of every passerby. It felt good, or as good as things could get for the ousted Queen of Omega. And she needed good, as opposed to how she usually dealt with the days.

Aria was different in how she handled loss. Most people distracted themselves to avoid dealing with it. Aria surrounded herself with reminders, instead. That was why she had taken over the only couch in Purgatory. The sorry excuse for a club was less than ideal, but far better than any of human "coffee shops" scattered throughout the station. More important than the night-club setting, Purgatory offered something nowhere else on the Citadel could: pain. It stung every time she took up her throne there and left a bitter taste in her mouth every time she returned to her pre-assigned apartment. It made her think. She spent her waking hours with a permanent glower on her face as she imagined ripping apart the Illusive Man. She reveled in the fresh reminder of her demise. It kept her rage alive.

Something had changed though. Cerberus had come to her.

When they had landed on the Citadel, Aria had been one of the few to stand and fight. Purgatory had suffered little interior damage thanks to her efforts and the patrons treated her with a newly-discovered awe, as it should be. Tearing apart the operatives had been fun. She had even given chase when they retreated farther along the Citadel arm. But the Goddess saw fit to end Aria's amusement by throwing a cockroach into the fray.

Kai Leng.

She saw him jump out of a racing speeder as Shepard chased him down the length of the Citadel. She had dropped the Cerberus operative she held by the throat and had smashed the window of the nearest parked speeder. By the time she got it operating, the assassin was long gone, but she had still searched for him endlessly. He escaped, of course, and the Citadel had returned to its usual pole-in-ass ways. Only this time around her rage was diluted with something else.

"I see the Queen has emerged from her lair."

Aria turned and saw the asari councilor, Tevos, approaching her. She looked back towards the Thessian trees. "Good observation," she said.

She felt Tevos standing next to her; the body heat of another was something she had grown unaccustomed to. "What else can I say?"

Aria scowled at the trees. "Nothing." She stepped down the sloped hill and Tevos followed her. They walked between the tall trunks quietly. Aria paused and looked up through the canopy of leaves at the artificial sky.

"I cancelled all my appointments," Tevos said. She kept her distance from Aria. Probably wise. The councilor stood next to a mighty trunk and picked at the flaking layer of bark.

"That seems awfully wasteful," said Aria. She continued walking through the trees, always staying within the boundaries of Thessia-native plants.

"You told me you were coming here today," said Tevos. "I assumed you wanted my company."

Aria stopped by a violet flower. She reached a hand down to caress it and smirked. "Maybe I just wanted to inform you so C-sec didn't get their garters in a bunch when I disappeared." She let the flower droop back down to its lofty pose and continued with her exploration of the garden. They had flowers from Thessia planted together that did not even grow in the same region. Pitiful.

"Aria." Tevos stepped closer. "I know what today is."

"And why do you care?" She looked away from Tevos, considered putting some more space between them. She could not have Tevos thinking she expected a hug and a shoulder to cry on. That would just be pathetic.

"Because Liselle-" Tevos halted. Aria turned, shocked to see the councilor's eyes watering. "Even if she was not my daughter, I-"

"You what?" asked Aria. "Cared for her?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Tevos asked.

"No," said Aria, thinking back on her daughter's demeanor. "It's not so hard. I still can't figure out how my own child turned out so damn likeable."

"I can," said Tevos. She crossed her arms over her chest. Aria waited for the Asari councilor to gather herself once more. "You may not want to see it, but people like you."

Aria laughed. "Flattery doesn't work on me," she said. She turned her attention to another flower, yellow this time. The petals had an angular shape to them.

"You keep things orderly," said Tevos. "Everyone likes a peacekeeper."

This caused Aria to scowl once more. "Please don't use that word to describe me," she said.

Tevos laughed that time. Aria felt a smile tug at her lips. She still stared at the flower rather than Tevos. She found it difficult to keep eye contact with the councilor. Friends were something Aria had grown past wanting, and Tevos had wavered over and beyond that line in their earlier lives. She felt regretful for ever telling the councilor she would be here today. "It hurt." Tevos's voice brought her back to reality. She glanced over at her to make sure she had stayed out of her space. Aria then looked back to the flower. She refused to reward such a vague prompt with an answer. "After all those years I get a notice through the obituary update. The Office of Asari Network Affairs had to inform me." For the first time in a very long time, the councilor's voice held unconcealed anger. "I would have come," Tevos said. Aria picked up a blue flower. "I would have come to you."

Aria shook her head and walked away from the flowers, farther downhill. "She wasn't yours to bury," she said.

Behind her, Tevos remained by the flowers. "I'm beginning to wonder why you invited me here," she fumed.

"I didn't," Aria said. Her eye twitched. Why did she invite Tevos? Why the hell did she feel like she needed to share this moment? She reached the bottom of the hill. A creek flowed by. She sat down and waited for Tevos to catch up. The other asari sat beside her. She waited for Tevos to say something scathing, something derisive about Aria's lack of feeling, but the comment never came. "I thought this place might help me think of where I buried her," Aria said, gesturing to the Thessian flora. "It's a piss-poor imitation though."

Tevos nodded. She leaned forward and stared into the creek. "There's only so much you can do in a shared biome," she said.

The two sat by each other quietly for several minutes. They might as well have had a conversation for hours. The creek flowed on by, speaking for them. Aria valued that about Tevos. She understood how silence could speak. "She was murdered on this day," said Aria.

Tevos sat up. "Yes, I know."

"Her throat was slit." Aria could still see the pool of blood staining the mattress and her daughter's pale, lifeless body strewn across it. "By the same guy who tried to do you in and the rest of the council during the Cerberus attack."

More silence. "Kai Leng?" Tevos finally asked.

Aria nodded. "I saw him that day," she said. "Dropped everything I was doing and chased after him. I never caught up." Aria remembered the adrenaline spike, how her body had pushed her to keep searching even after reports of his escape reached her."Promise me something, Thea," she said. She stared across the creek to where the salarian foliage started. "If any of your goody-two-shoes spectres or commandoes or defense force bring him in alive," she paused, savoring the moment of rage, "save the cereal-eating, throat-slitting bastard for me."

She had expected a bullshit politician's response, something like, _I'll see what I can do_. But Tevos surprised her. "I will," she said. They continued to sit by the creek until Tevos spoke again several minutes later, "Cereal-eating?"

Aria shivered in disgust. "His idea of marking territory whenever he bugged a home on Omega. The bastard should have realized he was in my domain."

Tevos shook her head. "Indeed. He must have been quite the fool to invite such an enemy down on him."

Aria smirked. "That was a better attempt at the flattery," she said. She stood and brushed off her pants. Stupid mistake, sitting on the grass in them.

"Where are you off to?" Tevos asked. Aria looked down at her and extended a hand.

"You said you cancelled your appointments, right?" she asked. Tevos took the hand and she helped her up. "I thought I might offer to fill your schedule with something more... therapeutic."

Tevos shook her head, taking a step back from her. "Aria, I refuse to be a meaningless distraction to you."

"Isn't that what the council is for, though?" she asked.

Tevos brushed aside the comment. "I had considered going to the symphony this evening," she said. "It's a human form of music. Much better than the rest of their entertainment."

Aria frowned. What made Tevos think she went places with people? "I don't 'go out' Tevos," she said.

The other asari nodded. Aria expected her to leave, but the councilor brought up her omni tool instead. "Well, I will be there," she said. "And my private box will be open if anyone arrives without a ticket." She typed in a command and then closed it.

Aria stared out across the river. If Tevos was inviting her to a private box, that made the game more interesting. It would scandalize C-sec. She smiled. "Aren't you worried about what that will do to your pretty reputation?"

"Honestly, I fear we could all be dead in a few weeks," Tevos said dryly. "I'm past caring about something as insignificant as a reputation."

The brutal honesty of the statement was refreshing coming from the councilor. Aria had gotten so used to wading through the obscure political statements she made regarding anything personal. She let Tevos turn and begin to walk away before she said, "Maybe I'll be there, then."

She heard Tevos call to her, "You have the nav point on your omni tool."

Aria remained still while Tevos walked back up the hill. She stayed by the creek a while longer, listening to the artificially constructed nature. This shallow garden held no real remnants of Thessia, just a bitter reminder, a hollow interpretation. This construct, however, was probably the last and closest thing she would ever see of Thessia again. That was why she had come here, after all, on the anniversary of her daughter's death.

It tasted of anguish to Aria.


	2. Movement

**A/N:** Yay, another mini Tevos/Aria fic! Sorry they're short. They just come to me in little doses. We'll see what my mind conjures up next. By the way, I made fan art of these two on my deviantArt profile, raindrops18. You can check out the amateur drawings there. If anyone has ideas or stray thoughts, leave a review. Hell, leave a review anyways. It's a little hard for me to generate cannon fodder for these two.

Movement

The symphony had been better than Aria thought. To begin with, she found the look on Jilani's face highly amusing when she strolled to the front of the line and demanded an escort to the asari councilor's private box. The reporter had obviously been bartering her way in for an interview with someone.

Tevos said nothing when she took up the only other seat in the box, the one next to her. At first, Aria thought she had made a grave mistake in coming. The concert had been in the middle of its "baroque" revival, a horrid mistake on humanity's part, worse than Councilor Udina. She had listened with bared teeth, practically wincing at the stiff, unmoving tones prancing along in perfect order. Uptight, just like the rest of the elitists aboard that space station.

Then, the orchestra played Tchaikovsky, Mendelssohn, Dvorak. These composers were much preferred to Aria. The music moved, it stayed unpredictable and held the audience's attention. The violins would lull into the softest of strokes, so soft that Aria would begin hearing her own heartbeat, then the brass instruments would crash in and pull the ears of their listeners back. It forced their attention. Demanded it.

And so Aria found herself listening to the Grand Canyon Suite in her apartment a week later. She found she could never quite tell where the melody went, especially in the latter movements. Aria had listened to many forms of human music, most of it modern renditions suited to play in a night club. She had found the noise meaningless. The human words and phrases held no connotations for her. But Ferde- the composer had broken the music down past words, put the feelings into something tangible.

Aria barely heard her omni tool go off. Annoyed, she lowered the volume of the music and accepted the incoming call from Tevos. "Didn't get enough, did you?" she asked, smirking at the vid screen.

The councilor looked away. Aria could not see if she blushed through the hologram. "You never said anything that night," she said. "Just left after the orchestra bowed. It's my job to keep you out of trouble. I thought I'd call since C-sec informed me you failed to go to Purgatory twice this last week."

"You're outside my front door, aren't you?" Aria asked, noticing the neighborhood details on the small vid screen.

Somehow, Tevos managed to look even more uncomfortable. "I'll leave if you're not scheming to destroy the Citadel."

That caught Aria's attention. She leaned forward. "But I am," she drawled. "I have a complex plot worked out and everything." She paused, watching the reaction on the councilor's face. "Aren't you going to call the guards?"

Tevos frowned at her. "Just open the damn door."

Aria smirked and ended the transmission. She got up from the armchair and went to the door control panel. She keyed in a few numbers and watched it whoosh aside. Councilor Tevos stood there, thankfully wearing something other than the high-necked dress she usually favored. This day she wore white with a proper neckline.

"Stop staring," Tevos scolded, stepping inside the apartment. "I only came by because it was on the way from the funeral service."

Aria followed the sway of the councilor's hips as she walked over to the kitchen, rather, she watched one particular well-rounded and firm area of the councilor's backside sway. "Yes, I'm sure," she said. Tevos turned around and Aria's eyes darted to her face once more. The door slid closed and she joined Tevos in the kitchen. The asari had cocked her head to the side and listened to something.

"Are you-" She paused and listened further. "Are you playing more of that symphony music?"

Aria stepped into the living room and found her armchair again. She sat down and stared at the opposite wall. "I run a bar on a seedy space station," she said. "That does not make me incapable of appreciating art."

Tevos walked into her periphery vision. "I'll have to get you some Mozart then," she said.

Aria sneered. "Keep that stuff away from me," she said. "His music is too stiff."

The asari councilor sighed. "Always the rebellious one," she said. She looked around the apartment. "I don't see any plans to destroy the Citadel lying about."

Aria switched off the music and stood. "I keep those hidden," she said. "It'd be too easy if you could just walk in here and uncover all my secrets." She moved up close to the councilor, looking down on Tevos with her best smoldering gaze. Tevos did not back away. She did not appear impressed, either though. Aria could not admit she was surprised. Tevos was a politician after all.

"I'm not here to _uncover_ anything," said Tevos. She turned and walked over to a window.

"How boring," said Aria. In truth, she found Tevos's refusal to play along exciting. Too many people swooned the second she attempted to charm them. Instead of following through, she usually changed her mind at that point and went back to seething on her couch. She gave chase to Tevos, standing beside her just close enough so that the other asari would feel her body heat. They stared out the window, watching the presidium traffic zoom overhead. "By the way," she said, "perhaps you could arrange to find me somewhere with a better view."

If Tevos reacted to her sultry tone, the councilor did not show it. "Did you have anywhere in mind?" she asked.

Aria grinned. "Somewhere more blue, preferably," she said, leaning in just a little bit more as she spoke.

Tevos stepped away from the window, leaving Aria leaning into empty space. "I could arrange to put you closer to the skyline," she said.

Aria scowled. What was this woman's problem? She crawled into Aria's apartment wearing that damnably attractive dress, then refused to play along with her games! It was irritating, though invigorating at the same time. "Can I get you anything to drink?" she asked, switching to another tactic.

Tevos rubbed her forehead. "Oh, I don't think a shot of ryncol would even help me at this point."

"Why are you still here, then?" asked Aria.

The other asari turned to her, smiling. "To enjoy the view," she said, her eyes roaming purposefully down Aria's body then back up.

So, Tevos was interested. Time to change the game. "Whose funeral were you attending?" she asked.

"Damn you, Aria," Tevos said. "Why bother seducing me if you're only going to ruin the mood the second you get anywhere?"

"You weren't ready," said Aria, shrugging. "Answer the question." She leaned on the kitchen counter, crossing her arms and bending forward. Tevos lingered on the other side.

"It was the service for those who died during the Cerberus attack," she said. Tevos crossed her arms. "I sent you an invitation."

Aria pushed off the counter and paced her kitchen. She vaguely remembered receiving the message on her omni tool. It had been very formal, as if Tevos had simply tacked Aria onto the mailing list along with everyone else. No, Tevos had not invited her. "Perhaps if you had asked me," she said. "You know I don't do formalities."

"We're not maidens anymore, Aria. We cannot simply do as we wish."

"So that's why you could only see me after the funeral?" Aria asked.

Tevos shook her head. "That's not what I meant," she said. "And you know it. I swear, ever since we were young everything has been one big mind game with you."

"That's not me, Tevos," Aria growled. "That's your excuse. I don't fuck around."

"Is that why you are so impossible to be around?" Tevos said. "I swear you are the most insolent and insufferable asari I've had the displeasure to know, and that's including Matriarch Aethyta!"

Aria had to forcibly relax her fists. They had clenched up so hard she risked drawing blood with her fingernails digging into her skin. She wanted to slam Tevos with a mass effect field and teach the bitch some manners, but the galaxy was falling apart. They all had to make sacrifices. Instead, she found her calmness and smiled at Tevos, knowing it could be just as devastating as a blow. "I've heard worse," she said.

"There you go again!" said Tevos. "Always so damn dismissive." She shook her head. Aria thought she saw tears in the councilor's eyes. "I don't know what I expected coming here."

"Apparently just a nice view," Aria said. "And you can leave if you're going to stand there and verbally abuse me. If I wanted that, I'd head down to immigration processing." She pulled up her omni tool and brought the music back up to full volume. The violins squealed as they descended in a messy rush of noise. How appropriate. She walked past Tevos with the intention of opening the door, but the other asari grabbed her wrist before she got too far. Aria turned with a snarl, taking hold of Tevos's forearm with the captured hand and grabbing her shoulder with the free one. With the help of her biotics, she had the asari councilor pinned to a wall. Tevos stared at her with wide eyes and she glared back.

Then, her eyes darkened and narrowed as her face twisted into a scowl. "Don't touch me!" she said, pushing Aria off her. If they had not been all-powerful asari, the fight might have dissolved from there, but the mass effect field Tevos generated launched Aria across the room, almost crashing her into one of the new speakers she had purchased. She caught herself just in time and regained her balance. Tevos already backed away. "Aria, don't," she said. "We don't need to make this any more of a mess than we have."

Aria growled, her biotics crackling off her as she took a step forward. "Then you shouldn't have started this, bitch."

She flew across the room, backing Tevos into the kitchen as she reached for her throat. The asari councilor brought up her own protective barriers. The blows they exchanged were hollow, more like a struggle for dominance than a desire to hurt one another. Finally, Aria tired of the light show and kicked Tevos's feet out from under her. She jumped forward and tackled the councilor to the ground, effectively pinning her. Tevos glared up at her still, eyes full of hurt. Aria snarled. "Damn you, Thea!" she said. "Why the fuck are you here? No more bullshit."

Underneath her, Tevos's eyes began to darken. Aria blinked and recognized the oncoming sensation of a meld. Under any other circumstances, she may have smacked the asari away, but if Tevos did not feel she could communicate with words, it was worth a shot. "Embrace eternity," the other asari whispered.

Aria felt herself plunge into Tevos's mind while Tevos mingled with her. Her own seething rage on top gave way to a cool, controlled mindset, whereas the opposite proved true for Tevos. The other asari's calm demeanor acted as a facade for a mess of emotions buried just underneath the surface. Aria nearly winced as she felt the onslaught of heated emotions overrun her. Thoughts like _billions dead_ and _I've failed them_ slipped past her. She could drown in the pool of guilt and frustration Tevos had become, but the asari councilor directed her consciousness towards a very distinct trail of thoughts.

'_I'm here now because the galaxy itself is falling apart, because everyone expects me to do something, because I am helpless to save my own people, because no one seems to keep their head like you, because I may be dead tomorrow, or you, or both of us, because I-_'

The thoughts choked off there, forcibly smothered by Tevos as she let sorrow overcome her. The bittersweet sorrow, so much like the crashing music of those violins, it keened in a familiar way that called out to Aria. She blinked, pulling herself away before she got lost in the feelings. Tevos still lay underneath her with tears streaming down her face. In that moment, Aria felt utterly lost. She did not comfort. She did not confess.

And so because she could not think of anything else to do that would stop Tevos from sobbing in her arms, she leaned forward and kissed the other asari fully and soundly on the mouth.


	3. Pressure

**A/N:** What? Another chapter? Warning: light sexual content ahead. Don't like? Don't read. *Ahem* I've not written many sex scenes. So if it's short and not very satisfying, tough. I did try to capture something in the banter though. Share your thoughts in a review! Oh, and there's a comic strip I'm working on that goes with one of the later chapters planned for this story. That'll be up on DeviantArt sometime in the future. There are multiple panels, so it takes a while. Anyways, read.

Pressure

Aria liked to imagine their sex built up like one of those symphonies: slow, predictable at first, then breaking down into something wild and painful. Desperate. Craved.

The hours had slipped by into shudders and moans. Tevos lay in between her legs, her head pressed down at the juncture of Aria's thighs, her tongue working at a slow, agonizing pace. Aria arched her back in an effort to draw the asari's lips closer, but Tevos moved with her. A stray thought of amusement floated between the two. They had become so immersed with one another that thoughts bled off the page. Only emotional pangs drifted into their consciousness.

On a physical level, they were both aware that Aria needed release. Things had been much more demanding between the two when they first started out. Now Tevos just toyed with her. Aria lifted her hips again, and this time Tevos gave in, sucking Aria's clit in between her lips and running her tongue along the underside of it in long, purposeful strokes. Aria probably screamed in reality. Within the meld, it was a bombardment of pleasure and ache. Tevos kept sucking in and out. Aria reached for her head, fingers running along the crest weakly. _I need this_. The thought could have been either of them.

Aria pumped her hips and Tevos sucked even faster, bringing both of them to the edge, and then... Aria almost growled when the other asari slowed down. She knew the shared desperation. She had to feel the-

All remnants of thought washed away as Tevos resumed her pace and brought their climax crashing down. Aria's jaw twitched and her blackened eyes stared widely at nothing. The deep, throbbing pulse in her core released as wave after wave of pleasure overcame her. Her whole body seized up with each deep throb from her body. Tevos clutched at her hips as she shared in the orgasm. Her jaw had gone slack in between Aria's legs, unable to keep her focus anymore. Their cries fell to moans, then whimpers, and finally deep, shuddering breaths as they lay entangled with one another, bodies covered in sweat. Tevos moaned and rubbed her cheek against Aria's trembling thigh, laying a kiss along the bruised skin before crawling up to lay next to her. Aria closed her eyes, both of them still gasping with the remnants of pleasure as their meld faded.

As her sense of self returned, Aria became aware of Tevos lying pressed against her, one arm draped across her chest and a leg over her own. She turned her head towards Tevos slowly, trying to build up the best glare she could. The other asari opened an eye and stared back. Did she look smug?

"I hope you're aware that pillow talk is off the table," she said, trying to shove Tevos's arm off her. The councilor picked up her arm and laid it along her own side.

"I thought you had to swear against it when you took up your mantle in Omega," said Tevos.

Aria tried to hold back a sneer. Witty Tevos was certainly better than a sobbing wreck. She did not want to provoke another scene. "It's more of a personal distaste," she said. "And stop talking. You see these?" She pointed to the pillows they rested on.

"I do, and it's only considered pillow talk when we're saying pleasant things to one another."

This time, Aria did sneer. "We're talking and there are pillows. Are you going to ask to spoon next?" Even as the words left her mouth, she felt aware of Tevos lying against her. The asari smiled wickedly. "Get off." She shoved the leg away and scooted a few inches from Tevos, though a small part of her missed the warmth.

The other asari sighed and rolled on her back. "One would think you would make allowances with the end of the galaxy so close at hand."

"I did make an allowance," Aria said. She turned and looked at Tevos once more. "I slept with you." In truth, Tevos was a very desirable woman with her curves and lithe body, not to mention the political intrigue. Coupled with her skill as a lover, Aria felt no regret for bedding the other woman, except for perhaps the ramifications afterwards. Tevos had seen this though. Both their emotions had been laid bare while in the meld.

"I actually wanted to thank you," said Tevos. The asari's features had tensed up from their relaxed placement. "I- I've needed to take my mind off things. You saw what a mess it was in there." Of course, she was referring to the nightmare her nerves had twisted her mind into.

"You worry about too many things, Thea," Aria said. She sat up on the bed. If they were going to talk, she refused to lie down. "You actually surprised me, that way." She got up from the bed and began looking for her clothes. Most of what she found remained in pieces. Great.

"What do you mean?" asked Tevos. She pulled a sheet up over her body, propping herself up on an elbow.

"Most people only have one thing to worry about." She pressed a button on her discarded omni tool and a closet door slid open. "Themselves."

"You don't know that, Aria."

She paused in reaching for a new shirt and smiled, then looked over her shoulder at Tevos. "Do you know how many heads I've been inside?"

"I'd rather not," said Tevos with a shudder.

Aria turned back to the closet, trying to find something suitable for casual wear. "Then you'll take my word that a good portion of the galaxy spends its time looking out for one person only."

"I'd think that some people sacrifice themselves for the greater good."

She grabbed a white shift, asari in make. The flowing garment was small, clinging, feminine. Nothing she would be caught wearing in public. But it was suitable for her apartment, especially if Tevos was choosing to linger. Perhaps the abrupt stop of the shift directly under her ass would put the councilor's thoughts elsewhere. "Well they don't," she replied. "Even soldiers. Every thought a person has, every action, is a step towards how they can better their own lot in life." She pulled the shift over her head. It fell open over a good portion of her chest, barely covering the important areas.

"Nice negligee," Tevos shot at her. Aria ignored the comment and closed the closet door. "And I still think you're wrong. Society would have collapsed if everyone thought that way."

Aria walked back to the foot of the bed and sat down. "Omega has not collapsed, and that's the standard of operation there."

"I said society."

The quip actually caused Aria's mouth to turn up at the corner. "Name one person who has completely, selflessly, given themselves for the better of others."

"Commander Shepard," Tevos said. She reclined a little farther into her pillow. A certain look of smugness had returned.

Aria laughed, falling back into the bed. "Shepard is pulling the whole hero act because she knows it's the only way she'll end up with a beach house and some damn quiet. Trust me. If it comes down to a choice, Shepard will choose her own life first."

Tevos studied her for a while. Aria felt a little more relaxed with the pause in conversation. She did not do pillow talk. Then again, she did not usually sleep with old acquaintances either. "Would you give yourself for anyone?" Tevos asked.

Aria frowned at the question. "Why?"

The asari councilor opened her mouth like she wanted to say more, but closed it again. "No reason, I guess," she said. "I was just curious if you held yourself to the same standard of others." Tevos rolled over, pulling more of the sheet with her. Aria stared at her back for a while. She expected the asari to get up, to do something other than lay in her bed, but Tevos seemed content to fall asleep.

"Is there a reason you're treating this like a slumber party?" she asked.

Tevos shrugged a shoulder as if trying to pull the sheet up higher. "I deal with any number of problems in a single day. It feels nice to be someone else's problem."

Aria got up from the bed. "Better luck next time, then," she said. "I'll be elsewhere." She walked into her kitchen, easily the farthest room from her bed, and dug through the cupboards until her fingers closed around the neck of a bottle. She smiled and withdrew the Serrice Ice Brandy from its place along with a drinking glass.

"I'll have a glass too." Tevos had emerged from the bedroom, naked, walking in an easy manner. Aria tried to act nonchalant a she reached for a second glass. Secretly, she wanted to study the fresh bruises and bite marks on her most recent lover.

"You know you could always put on clothes," she said, using the remark as an excuse to roam Tevos's body with her eyes once more. She uncapped the brandy and poured into both glasses.

"Actually, I can't. You destroyed my dress." Tevos grabbed the first glass and took a sip from it.

"So borrow my clothes." Aria recapped the brandy and set it aside. She lifted her own glass.

Tevos set her glass down and crossed her arms. "Is it odd that we had sex and then broke out the nice alcohol?"

Aria smirked and took another swallow. "You haven't done this very often, have you."

The asari councilor took up her glass again. "I started my political career when I was a maiden, in case you forgot. I did not have time to roam the galaxy for random sexual encounters."

"You make it sound like I got the worse end of the bargain," said Aria. She drained her glass and poured herself some more. She checked her guest's glass and saw it was nearly full. She shrugged and put the bottle aside. "At least I can hold my liquor."

"Being drunk around you is a very bad idea, no offense," said Tevos.

Aria laughed. It was odd. Usually she presented a persona of constant anger. Perhaps she should slow down on the brandy. She leaned against the counter and stared at nothing. The atmosphere between them felt nostalgic, like she could look out the apartment window and see a terrace on Thessia instead of the Citadel.

"You know, I can't remember the last time I heard you laugh before today," said Tevos.

Aria smirked. "Well, it might be because you're not such a terrible lay. And don't get all high and mighty over that compliment."

This time Tevos laughed. "I think I could take it to the grave. The asari councilor cannot really state 'good lay' in a press release concerning re-election." The councilor's face darkened. She shook her head. "Then again, who says that we'll be around for re-election?"

Aria shrugged. "Galaxy had to end sooner or later," she said.

"Any regrets?" Tevos asked.

The question gave Aria pause. People asked her this a lot, especially law enforcement officials when they thought she was finally cornered. Usually she brushed it aside with a witty reply or a sneer about not getting to gut them personally. But did she really have any regrets? She had spent 300 years as a commando, changed her identity and sworn never to see friends again while spending days in the arms of enemies. Somewhere in her matron stage, she had found the time for a daughter, but even Liselle had been estranged from her. Now, not even at the Matriarch stage, the galaxy stood on the verge of crumbling. Life used to revolve around ten-year schemes, 100-year plots, it was a big game of strategy and she had been on top. Ever since arriving on the Citadel, her plots for revenge against Cerberus had slowly given way to the needs of the war. Shepard needed fighters for a suicide mission. Some colony needed ships for evacuation. The reapers could arrive in any second and space the Citadel if they chose. No careful planning could avoid that.

Aria glanced over at Tevos. She seemed content to stand there and wait her out. She showed no signs of impatience, just understanding like a true negotiator of peace should. If she did have any regrets…

"No," she said, swirling the brandy around in her glass.

"Oh." Tevos turned and looked out the window.

Aria sighed and emptied the last of her glass before setting it down. "Think about it," she said. "If anything happened differently, we wouldn't be standing here sharing a bottle of brandy."

Tevos laughed softly. "Yes, I suppose any alterations might have robbed you of your greatest sexual conquest."

"I wouldn't go that far," Aria said. Though her voice was stern, she knew Tevos saw the softening in her eyes and around the mouth. She didn't care that the councilor saw. Who could she tell about her fling with the Omega Crime Lord anyways? In a way, it only added more to her power, knowing that Tevos would never share this moment with anyone else, no matter the state of the universe.


	4. Crush

**A/N: **Forgot to mention this, but Tevos's first name, Thea, was created by Rae D Magdon. I think it's nearly canon now, anyways. And remember to check my profile page for the new url to my updated blog/website plus a preview to a new fanfiction project I'm working on!

Crush

It was hardly a surprise when the alert came. Cerberus troops approached the Citadel once more. This time they had the reapers in tow. The alarm sounded in Purgatory suddenly, cutting out the heavy pulse of the music. Everyone stopped moving, looking up as if they expected to find something in the ceiling. Aria had just stood from her couch and brushed herself off. "Sheerk," she said. "It's time to leave."

The crony nodded and keyed in a code to his omni tool. It was an order to all of her agents stating _abandon ship_. "It's sent, Aria," he said. "Where do we go?"

"To the evac shuttles," she said. "We're catching the first ship off this thing."

Sheerk nodded and they left Purgatory with the stream of citizens. Some ran and pushed past others. Aria kept her leisurely pace. If everyone panicked, they would just leave the station later rather than sooner or not at all. The lifts were all packed, everyone standing shoulder to shoulder. Some cried. Aria's frown deepened at the sound. She hated the public sometimes. Sheerk tried to keep others at bay as he led her down to the loading docks, but one person could only do so much. The third time someone bumped into her, Aria thought about issuing a death threat, but decided it was not worth it. Everything moved with a relative order until they reached the main corridor to the first docking bays.

Families cried out for missing people. C-sec officers attempted to direct citizens to available ships. The vid screens ran a continual loop of evacuation instructions periodically interrupted with missing person reports. It was pure pandemonium. The line Aria moved in came to a halt and she looked over at Sheerk with a sneer. "Why are we stopped?" she asked.

The batarian pressed a few buttons on his omni tool. "They're commandeering private ships to assist in the evacuation. All docks have been sealed off. You need to be directed there by an official."

"Damn it," growled Aria. She clenched her fists, trying to suppress a biotic explosion. The vid screen overhead switched to another report, this one with the letters _urgent_ flashing underneath it. She activated her omni tool and brought up the same report on her personal screen.

"…preemptive strike from Cerberus has left entire arm isolated, cutting off millions from transportation. This particular section of the citadel houses the council and other visiting diplomats, none of whom had a chance to evacuate…"

Aria shut off the omni tool and had to keep herself from destroying it. "Sheerk!"

"Yes Aria?" The batarian backed up a little bit. Apparently her frustration was evident.

"Get on a shuttle," she said. "I'm going for a drive."

"But Aria, you'll-"

"Do what I fucking say, Sheerk, or so help me you'll regret it," Aria growled. "Get off this station, all right?"

The burly bodyguard swallowed and blinked all four of his eyes. "Uh, yes Aria," he said.

Thankfully, he asked no more questions and left Aria to stalk off through the crowds and back towards her apartment. "Damn her," she growled. "What the hell was she thinking anyways, getting caught in her own apartment…" She pulled up her omni tool as she walked and sent a call to Tevos. The call went through, but she did not see Tevos on the other end. Strangers moved in and out of the holo field. People screamed. One of the voices belonged to Tevos. "Damn her!" she said again, shutting off the omni tool.

Aria started violently shoving people out of her way. It did not help with the already disorderly conduct. She didn't care. She was not going to let Cerberus have the pleasure of taking another person out of her life.

If Tevos had never reached out to her, she might have never cared. But the asari councilor had made a shift in priorities over the last several weeks. Aria had taken a secret delight in dragging the councilor down to her level of entertainment, dragging her to juggling hanar shows and other debased performances. She had even let Tevos take her to another symphony. At the very least, Aria could go looking for Kai Leng again. And if Tevos happened to get her ass saved by Omega's Crime Queen, who was she to deny that irony?

Thankfully, Aria's speeder had not been ruined in any looters. She unlocked the driver side door and stepped in. She started up the engine and pulled out into the main traffic. Other speeders zoomed past. None of them could survive outside the safety of the citadel, but that wouldn't stop them from trying to fly into retreating cargo bays. "Cowards," Aria growled. She turned the speeder away from main traffic and pushed on towards the presidium, right into a herd of Cerberus ships. "Damn it, Tevos."

The ships had their attention turned towards the Citadel defense fleet, so Aria nearly made it to a landing point without drawing attention. Finally, a Cerberus ship turned on her. She veered into a sharp dive, anticipating the missile and spray of bullets it sent at her. The Cerberus ship gave chase, but could not out-maneuver her speeder as she pulled it in close to the presidium and in between the narrow structures of buildings. However, as she turned the speeder in to make a landing, the bullets caught up and clipped the rear engine. Everything around her screamed and pitched, sending the speeder into a spiral. Aria pulled at the steering yoke, trying to right the craft before it flung her into the side of the building. She managed to level it out enough to send it scraping along a presidium walkway, the alloy floors causing the speeder to skip along their surface. Aria gritted her teeth and held on tight. Tevos better be damn appreciative.

The speeder finally struck an object that forced it to stop. The crash webbing did its job and held Aria in place, but noxious fumes soon reached her and she realized multiple tanks must have cracked. She shredded through the belts with a snarl, biotics making quick work of the fabric. The auto unlock had malfunctioned in the crash, so Aria punched through the glass and launched herself out the window. Citizens ran past her, skirting the wreck as they made for cover. Aria activated her omni tool and pulled up Tevos's contact information. She smirked as she executed the hack program. If Tevos had been knowledgeable of the program, she might never have shared the omni tool's direct link. Now it would allow Aria to save her.

The tool honed in on Tevos's position quickly and Aria took off at a run. Cerberus troops had not landed yet from what she could see. They either had ground forces concentrated somewhere else or stuck to the skies. She propelled herself over crowds of people and at one point charged across an empty stretch of walkway. According to the device, Tevos had not gotten very far from her apartment. The closer Aria got to her quarters, the worse the destruction became. Tevos would have been hard-pressed to make it through any of this debris on her own. Her omni tool showed a point somewhere inside the next suite of apartments. The ground exit had caved in from a detonation.

Aria sent blast after blast of biotic shockwaves at the pile. Scrap metal soared into the sky and larger chunks shuddered as her efforts slowly pushed the out of the way. She did not stop until a faint pulsing in the back of her head warned her of biotic fatigue. She let up and charged in, tearing through the thinnest spot in the debris.

"Tevos!" she called out as she stood in the lobby. The lights flickered on and off. She checked her omni tool again. _Tevos should be on the first floor, three rooms back._ Aria moved through the complex quickly, ignoring the cries of wounded victims or panicked diplomats. Before she could even get to the location marked on her omni tool, Tevos turned down a corner, dragging an injured human with her. "Thea!" Aria cried out.

The asari looked up with wide eyes. "Aria?" she called out.

She walked over to the councilor and looked her over for damage. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked. "We're supposed to be getting off this satellite."

Tevos shrugged the unconscious woman higher up in her grip. "I… this girl was injured. I could not just leave her-"

Aria took hold of the woman's face and attuned their nervous systems to assess the damage. "She's not going to make it, Thea," she said as she withdrew from the meld.

"She's still alive! I can get her to a-"

"She'll be dead in a few minutes anyways, along with us for slowing down to help her!" yelled Aria. "I know what I'm doing sometimes, Thea! You don't know how many good fighters I've had to leave behind!"

Tevos seemed to be on the verge of tears. She looked down at the human then back up at Aria. "But I can't… I cannot leave her lying-"

"We'll put her somewhere comfortable and safe," said Aria. "I'll numb the sources of pain, and then she can embrace the Goddess peacefully." She shouldered the other side of the human and dragged her into the nearest room. She cleared off a table and helped Tevos lay the woman down on it. When she attuned her nervous system to the woman's again, there was barely any life left. Still, she numbed the sources of pain and took Thea's hand.

After they left the room, Tevos asked, "How many times have you done that?"

Aria shook her head and led her out of the apartment. "Too many."

Back outside, Cerberus and Citadel shuttles had closed in. Troops had been deployed groundside, but the fighting stayed concentrated. Aria led them away from the fights and towards the stream of refugees. As they walked, Tevos seemed to snap out of her daze. She wrenched her hand from Aria's. "And why are you here, anyways?" she asked. "You're supposed to be on a shuttle already!"

"Well I couldn't miss an opportunity to save your ass," said Aria. "Now shut up and keep moving. Those shuttles are going to leave the first chance they get." C-sec must have concentrated a certain amount of rescue vessels outside the range of fighting. Her thoughts were confirmed when the Destiny Ascension swooped overhead, firing at the bulk of the Cerberus fleet.

"There's your ride," Aria said. The two walked farther along until they came to a small cluster of shuttles taking people aboard. Most of them took off. One lingered as Aria waved to them. The side door opened and a human leaned out the side. He shouted to them, "We're just about to go over the weight capacity for flight! I think we can fit one more person without overheating the engines."

Aria stared up at the shuttle then back at Tevos. Time seemed to snap still in that moment. There she stood, Tevos on one side, the rescue shuttle hovering in front, and hell all around them. The asari councilor charged ahead into negotiations, "You can't ask us to make a choice like that!" she said, pointing a threatening finger at the man. "Call an extra shuttle. You need to get both of us aboard the Destiny Ascension before the-"

Aria grabbed the councilor's wrist. "Thea." They looked at one another. Aria pulled her close and kissed her on the lips, silencing all protests. Their arms wrapped around each other, clung from shoulder to waist. Aria felt tears on Thea's cheeks and pulled away. "There was a question you asked me a few weeks ago." They stood arm in arm. "I think I can answer it now."

"Aria, I don't understand, what are you-"

Tevos flew through the air, propelled by Aria's biotics right into the awaiting arms of the human. "Take her!" Aria yelled, turning her back as the human dragged Tevos aboard.

"Aria!" She heard the scream. More followed even after the shuttle door hissed shut. She stared at the presidium floor as the shuttle took off. She could not look back, refused to. She heard Cerberus soldiers approaching. The fighting had expanded beyond the apartments. Aria looked up and grinned at the centurion moving in cautiously. He lifted his gun to fire at her and she yanked it away with a biotic pull. Another wrist motion sent him flying over the edge of the walkway.

"Galaxy had to end sooner or later, right?" she asked herself. The biotic field arced around her, crackling in the dry, artificial air. Aria had assumed she would die in a shoot-out on Omega. If she had to die here, thousands of light-years from any home she knew, she preferred to do it fighting. The troops closed in. They tried to fire, but the weapons jammed. They did not have time to withdraw their melee weapons before Aria charged in. She screamed out all her rage and punched through the armor of one soldier, then another. The bodies piled higher and Aria still fought. Phantoms danced around her, tried to hack with their ridiculous human weapons. She kicked the sword out of one's hand and picked her off the ground, strangling the synthesized cries then tossing the body aside. Nothing would stop her. Not until every Cerberus soldier lay dead at her feet and Tevos lay safe in the bay of the Destiny Ascension. _Damn her_, Aria thought. _Why did she have to care?_


	5. Dust

Dust

It gathered like a film on her immobile body, shut down into hibernation to preserve resources. It settled into a micro-thin layer, undisturbed by the stagnant atmosphere. When they finally found her, the dust swooped away in a rush as full power restored. Her skin flickered with circuitry. The increased circulation would have usually brought her back to the waking world, but Aria had been under too long. She lay limp in her seat, no matter how much Tevos shook her or called to her.

"I need a team of medics!" Tevos yelled. She ran a hand over one of the poorly healed scars on Aria's cheek. She reached down and pulled at the crash webbing. The buckles were stiff and did not want to be pried apart. Tevos let out a desperate cry and ripped through the straps with her biotics. Aria slumped forward and she caught the barely-alive asari, holding her close to her chest. "You idiot," she whispered against Aria's crest. The skin felt cold against her own. "If you never wake up, I won't forgive you."

"Did you say something, Councilor?"

Tevos shook her head - though the medics probably could not see her - and pulled Aria free of the escape pod. She grunted as she tried to lift the unconscious form on her own. A turian and salarian ran forward and assisted her. "I have her," she said, but they ignored her and helped lift Aria onto the waiting hospital gurney. She placed a hand on Aria's forehead. The meld was resistant at first, but she finally broke into Aria's coma-steeped mind. There, deep behind the walls lay Aria's sense of self. "She's still in there," said Tevos, pulling out from the meld. "Take her to urgent care. Send me the room number."

"Yes Councilor," said the salarian. They wheeled her away. As much as Tevos wanted to chase after, she restrained herself. In the immediacy after the defeat of the reapers, she had been sure Aria died saving her, had spent her nights sobbing until she fell asleep. When the biomedical scanners had shown her who laid in the pod, she had nearly suffered another breakdown. She had rushed down to the retrieval bay doors, pitching aside anyone who tried to stop her. Usually that behavior would have the press on her in a second, but so much had changed in the aftermath of the war. It seemed everyone was a little hysterical.

"Councilor Tevos, are you all right?"

She turned sharply and startled the young asari who addressed her. "I'm fine," she said. "I just need... Did you need something?"

The asari gestured at the bay doors. "There are other citadel escape pods we need to retrieve."

"Oh, of course," said Tevos. "I... I think I should go elsewhere." The asari arched her brow and Tevos blinked. "I'm fine. I just need some time alone."

Tevos left the retrieval bay and wandered through the halls of the Destiny Ascension. It was a small miracle she stood on the intact ship in the first place. After the shuttle had taken her to the ship, she had rallied her thoughts for the approaching battle, though she had been of little use when it actually happened. She was a councilor, a delegator. What business did she have on the bridge of a warship? Aria would have been more use in the battle. And as fast as the fighting had started, it ended in a huge, green explosion. The aftermath had left them reeling: no relays, barely any communications, and everyone suddenly had the capability to think in binary.

If they had not recovered Shepard, the galaxy might have descended into chaos all over again. It was only after they found the commander barely living among the rubble that operations tightened down and the troops organized. They had been collecting escape pods and survivors from the citadel when they found Aria.

So Tevos paced the hallway of her ship with not a clue of where to go. Her omni-tool beeped at her and she activated the device. The salarian's holographic projection blinked at her. "I'm sending you her coordinates," he said. "But we need to get her stabilized before anyone can visit, including you, Councilor. I'll send you another alert when you can come see her." Before she could say thanks, the salarian cut the communication. Supposedly, he had a lot of work ahead of him. Tevos rubbed her forehead and groaned. She did not see herself getting anything done while agonizing over Aria. Perhaps calling it a day early would be good for her.

Back in her quarters, however, she proved to be just as useless. When she lay down, she stood again a few moments later. Her vid screen and omni-tool were equally useless at distracting her. Inevitably, Tevos ended up pacing until she fell into a fitful sleep. Just as she seemed to close her eyes, her omni-tool went off. She had not even taken it off her arm. Tevos accepted the call and saw the salarian from before looking down at her. "If this is a bad time, Councilor..."

"No!" Tevos stood and smoothed out her clothes. "What news to you have to report?"

"Uh, we have managed to stabilize her condition. Aria T'Loak is no longer comatose. But she will need much rest before-"

"I'm coming down there." Tevos moved to grab her things.

"Councilor, I just said that she-"

"Trust me, this will count as rest by her standards," said Tevos. She pulled up the coordinates and terminated the salarian's call. Tevos made it down to the med bay in record time, and though she wanted to shove the team of medics aside, she patiently waited them out while they cautioned her against going in. Then, she smiled and told them the visit was a necessity and that she would not stay long. The two salarians glanced at one another, shrugged, and stepped aside. Tevos opened the door to Aria's room, nearly halted when she saw the asari laying on the hospital bed, tubes and wires running over her. Aria had intended to give her life for Tevos. Would she still want a life with her? Tevos swallowed and pushed the thoughts aside. She pulled a chair up to Aria's beside and sat down, taking her cold hand in between her two. She shook her head and blinked back tears. "Aria, you had better wake up."

Aria

Shadows danced in front of Aria's eyes. She watched them for a while. Soon they became her world. She knew only shadows, tones of gray shifting in and out of sight, and occasionally a speck of blue. Aria knew something lay beyond the shadows. She knew she had to resurface. But she found herself content to watch muted shadows on a wall, because the clarity of a life without Thea seemed too unbearable, even if it meant living in blunted imitations. She had seen the shuttle depart, but never saw it reach the Destiny Ascension. And then what could have happened? The reapers probably spaced everyone. She probably was trapped in an experiment by their drones. The idea that the outside world lay intact was far too impossible to hope for.

Then it happened. A consciousness touched hers, one faintly familiar from the half-dozen or so melds they had experienced in their brief reunion. _Thea_. Now that had to be more than shadow.

Waking from the shadows proved to be more difficult than she assumed. She struggled against them for a long time, journeyed through the cave of her subconscious for what felt like hours until she saw a glimmer of blinding light. Her mouth felt dry. The light grew and she lifted her arm to shield her eyes from the rays.

She blinked. She stood no more. No, she lay on a hospital bed, strapped in with buckles and wires. She tried to move her head, but her body protested and she groaned instead. Something shifted farther down on the bed. "Aria!"

She knew that voice. "Thea." The other asari moved into view, standing over her at the front of the bed. She felt one of Thea's hands go to her cheek. A thumb stroked her skin gently. "I take it we didn't get spaced," she said. "That, or Athame's more generous than we were originally told."

Thea laughed. Her eyes looked watery. "We're alive, even after you pulled that idiotic stunt, we're alive."

"If I recall correctly, I saved your sorry ass, beat to hell a whole squadron of Cerberus troops, then got myself to safety, even after sustaining injuries. I think I've earned a medal."

Thea smiled. "I'd present you one if you like, but then you would have to stand on a stage for hours and listen to the councilors laud your accomplishments."

"There's some vindication in that," said Aria.

"You'd have to make a speech as well, and adhere to security protocol."

Aria's brow furrowed in disapproval. "Maybe we'll just conduct a private ceremony."

"I thought that might appeal to you more," said Tevos. She hoisted herself on the bed and sat down carefully by Aria's side. "Thank you, by the way."

"For..."

"For saving me," said Tevos. "We'd both be dead if not for your quick thinking." She looked down and clasped her hands. Aria reached out and touched her arm.

"We're not dead, though," she said. "We're here." She paused and glanced around the hospital room. "And... I'm assuming the reapers are dead?"

Thea nodded. She took Aria's hand again and threaded their fingers together. Usually both of them would be completely against such public and affectionate displays, but circumstances seemed to make it all right. "Shepard killed them," she said. "And lived."

"Ha," said Aria. "I told you she was doing this just so she could get some quiet."

"It would seem that way," said Thea. "Though the battle was not without loss. The mass effect relays are temporarily offline and some... side effects have emerged as a result of the battle."

"Like what?" asked Aria. She looked Thea over more closely and noticed a flicker of green run along her skin.

Thea smiled. "You probably have not realized yet since you just came out of a coma, but every living thing has been integrated with technology, a perfect synthesis of the organic and inorganic."

"Sounds like a deus ex machina."

"A what?" asked Thea. She looked over at Aria with puzzlement.

"Human term. Means 'bullshit'."

"No it doesn't."

"Might as well."

Thea shook her head. Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears, but Aria saw a smile as well. She wished she could lean up and kiss her. Then again, that kind of thinking still scared her a little. She was not quite accustomed to the bedside visits. If she were ever bedridden before, she kept her staff at hand. It meant that business had moved elsewhere momentarily, but not now. This was far more intimate, more personal. Almost like they were bonded. "Thea."

The asari glanced over at her. This time, the tears did spill over and run down her cheeks in slow, lazy lines.

"Kiss me."

Thea laughed. Aria liked the sound of that laugh. As much as she wanted to deny it, she loved having Thea by her side. She wiped the tears over her face and leaned down over Aria. Their lips pressed together in one of the softest kisses they had exchanged. Through it, their minds eased into a gentle meld. Thea's consciousness embraced hers and it felt as if she were breathing air again for the first time. One of them thought it, possibly both, but it was there and they both agreed with the notion almost jokingly, but entirely seriously: if they had indeed survived the war, they should at least get bonded.


	6. Epilogue

**A/N:** So... I wanted to write in something other than my manuscript. And I didn't want to write in a research proposal either. And I had written like three poems already. That left only one thing: fanfiction. Smutty, smutty fanfiction. I know I said this story was complete, and it kind of is. I'm prepping for a new story I have in mind. After I finish this little section, I need to go wrap up my fix-it. Then I _might_ write up the project I had in mind. Inspired from reading a fic about ME3 character's children. Warning: sex scene ahead. If you don't like that, don't read it.

_**Years Later...**_

Aria sat on the edge of the bed. She felt sick to her stomach. She thought about getting up, leaving for some fresh air, but her hands and legs trembled too much. She could not decide if it was from rage or abject terror. She couldn't let Tevos see the latter, however, so she settled for rage. She swallowed at a rising lump in her throat. "How could you let this happen?"

Sheets rustled as Tevos pulled herself up into a sitting position on the other end of the bed. "Last time I checked, it took two to _let_ this happen."

The jab in the words did not go unnoticed. Aria turned and glared at her bondmate, lips pulled into a sneer. "Well, you were the one who mapped me!"

"Only because you thought it so loudly that I couldn't control myself any longer!" Thea's voice wavered. Aria saw tears pooling in the corner of her eyes. "Aria, please."

She turned away and resumed staring at the far wall. The apartment was dark. The sun had set hours ago. She had thought she would crawl into bed that night and make love to her bondmate. Tevos had stopped her, though, had said she needed to discuss something. _Discussion_ barely started to cover all the actions Aria felt torn between in that instance. "It was a mistake," Aria growled. She clenched her hands into fists.

"Is that what we are?"

"No!" As angry as she felt in that moment, thinking of her and Thea as a mistake felt like a step too far. No, they were not a mistake. Their recent actions, however... "It- I just-" Her fists unclenched. Why did words have to be so difficult? Why did Thea have to be so damn difficult? "When we became bondmates, I hadn't planned-"

"Well neither did I."

Aria almost flinched. She could not remember hearing Thea speak with such venom. Her shoulders sagged. "You know why I'm having a hard time with this," she said. In their handful of years together, they had rarely approached the subject of children. She heard the headboard creak as Thea leaned against it.

"Our daughter will not be Liselle."

Her stomach tightened. She blinked back the pressure building in her head. "I know that," she growled. "Liselle was so... and I was-"

"You were not a terrible parent then, and you will not be one now."

The depths by which Thea knew her frightened her sometimes. She stood and glanced at the balcony window. Thessia lay sprawled out before her. The trees swayed in a gentle breeze and the lake's surface rippled. "I raised her on Omega," she said. Liselle had been a flower in the pits of hell. "She deserved better." She glanced at Thea, who had the sheets pulled high up over her body. She looked so vulnerable, so frightened. Aria took a step forward. The grip on the sheets tightened. She smirked. "Let me see her."

The grip loosened and Thea lowered the sheets, revealing her lithe blue body. Moonlight fell across her belly and legs. Aria stared, trying to imagine her lover with child. She climbed onto the bed and crawled toward Tevos, grabbing an ankle and tugging gently. Thea let herself slide down from her sitting position. Aria looked down at her, at the soft skin of her abdomen. None of it stretched now, but she knew that in the months to come the flesh would swell and subtle marks would zigzag into the currently unmarked skin. Aria knew from the similar, faded marks that still covered her own body. She leaned down and kissed Thea's stomach. The idea of an asari growing in there with half her DNA still frightened her beyond belief, but she had a couple years to get used to the idea. Thea gasped as her lips ghosted over the skin.

"Do you forgive me?" Her voice sounded weak.

Aria glanced up. The fear and hurt had receded from Thea's eyes. Something else lingered in them. A silent plea. She smiled wickedly as she slid farther up along Thea's body, letting her lips hover centimeters from her lover's sensitive neck. "I might," she said. "Depends on how prettily you beg for me." She heard the sharp intake of breath and knew she had hit the right spot. They would not yell or torture one another over this, so that left one way to work through the mess of emotions. She nipped at Thea's skin and kissed down to her shoulder. "Turn over," she growled. The light whimper that escaped Thea thrilled her to no end. She got up and watched Tevos turn onto her belly, propping herself up by her elbows and knees. Aria ran a hand down Thea's back, fingertips barely brushing the skin. Her hand reached under, in between Thea's legs and brushed against the wetness she found there. "Do you want me?" The answer could not be more obvious, but she wanted to hear it.

"Yes." The answer tumbled from Thea's lips with a sob. Aria pressed a finger into Thea's delicate blue folds. She hovered over the entrance, then moved up to the swollen ridge and flicked. Thea gasped.

"So responsive," she murmured. Her free hand clutched at Thea's hip, pulling them closer together. She let her finger trace slow circles around the bundle of nerves, just avoiding the area Thea wanted her to touch.

Her lover arched into her, trying to re-angle and press into Aria's finger, but she gripped Thea's hip harder, stilling any motion. "Aria, please, I can't-"

She pressed down hard against the ridge and Thea's words dissolved into a moan. "I can," she said. She lifted the pressure. "You'll come only when I say so, is that clear?" Thea whimpered, her forehead buried into a pillow. Aria flicked the spot again. "I asked if that was clear," she growled, giving an extra tug at the hips. The threat was completely unnecessary. She knew exactly how far she could push Thea before reaching orgasm. She knew how much Thea loved the verbal banter though.

"Yes, Aria." Thea's body finally stilled.

"That's better." She brought a finger to Thea's entrance, eased it in slowly, then pulled away. She waited for Thea to complain. When no sound came, she quickly pressed two fingers into her lover, reveling in the deep moan she released. "You're so tight." She curled her fingers downward as Thea clutched at her.

"Oh Aria," she gasped. Thea's wetness quickly covered her fingers down to the knuckle. She resisted the urge to meld right away and eased her fingers out once more. She pushed back in, slowly, building up a rhythm as her hips rocked with her hand. The steady, pulsing movements stirred her own need, but she gritted her teeth and kept the rhythm constant. It was not about getting off, in that moment. It was about knowing each other. "Aria." The sound of her name sent shivers through her body. The way Thea cried it out sounded so perfect, better than any other lover had managed. She picked up her pace.

"You know you need this," she said, punctuating her words with a particularly sharp thrust.

"I do," Thea sobbed. Her fingers clutched tightly at a pillow. They both knew the experience was better when Thea surrendered complete control to her. "Aria, please, I need to- oh!"

She thrust harder, cutting off the request for the meld. Still, she considered Thea's moans and reached out. Her lover's mind latched onto hers in an instance. Aria felt the overwhelming burn in between her legs and nearly doubled over. Her hips stilled for a moment and she felt Thea's desperation. She resumed thrusting with a renewed sense of urgency. A pressure built up in her groin.

_Not yet_.

The thought came from Tevos, strained and weak. She felt her lover pull her deeper in, past all the layers of subconscious and into the heart of Thea's body. She waded through the dark recesses, trying to find what Thea wanted to show her. Her mind touched something unfamiliar, something new: their child.

Aria's senses flooded back to her: the overwhelming need between them, the ache in Thea's heart, the unvoiced, deep love she felt for her bondmate in that moment, in all moments. She pushed into Thea again, giving herself over completely as they reached the precipice of pleasure. Her thigh twitched, Thea's wetness ran down her palm and onto her arm. They came together, lost in one another's minds as the waves crashed over them. It left both of them trembling, bodies pressed together as the world came back into view. Aria withdrew her hand and flexed the soreness from her wrist. Thea collapsed onto the bed and released a deep, contented sigh. Aria lay down on top of her, burrowing her face into Thea's neck and breathing in her scent.

They stayed like that for a while and let their tremors subside. After some of Aria's strength returned, she propped herself up on her elbows and stared down at her bondmate. "You were naughty," she teased. "Calling the shots there at the end."

Thea blushed a glanced down. "I'm sorry," she said. "I just wanted to show you... her."

Aria leaned in and kissed a flushed cheek. "She's beautiful," she whispered. No doubt, her and Thea had several fights ahead. One night together would not permanently ease the panic she felt. Being a mother had been a complete failure for Aria. How would she handle being a father?

Tevos cupped her cheek and drew her down for a light kiss. Their lips brushed together gently before Aria rolled off her and pulled the sheets over their cooling bodies. She wrapped an arm around Thea, careful of her lover's flat stomach. They had time. Of that, she was certain.


End file.
